Bengal CM said a Rs 220 crore road link project will be taken up to connect Kalimpong with Sikkim via the old Silk Route
A new district of Kalimpong was today carved out of Darjeeling, which has seen separate statehood demands since 1980s, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee making the formal announcement here.
Announcing a slew of development projects for the newly created district at a colourful ceremony, Banerjee said "a Rs 220 crore road link project will be taken up to connect Kalimpong with Sikkim via the old Silk Route." She said a Rs 50 crore water supply project by the public health engineering department will be taken up soon to address Kalimpong's water scarcity problem.
Darjeeling Hills has been witness to violent statehood movements since 1986 under the leadership of Subhas Ghising and after a few years' thaw, again under Bimal Gurung, the present chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, in a bid to break away from West Bengal. While Subhas Ghising-led Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) had got the West Bengal government to set up the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's agitation had set the ball rolling for replacing DGHC with the present Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, a local governing body with certain powers.
"I urge all people in the Hills to live peacefully and not pay heed to any attempt of igniting violence," Banerjee said while referring to the burning down of forest and other government bungalows at Tagdah, Kalimpong and some other places in the Hills. "We have rebuild the Tagdah bungalow and others. We will ensure all-round development of the Hills," she said after announcing the creation of the state's 21st district. "Lepchas, Gurungs, Bhutias and all others are living together, we want you to light up diyas (lamps) of peace," she said. "We are celebrating Kalimpong Day on Valentine's Day," the Chief Minister said in a lighter tone. "After the formation of GTA, I set up several boards in the Hills for better development and all are working well," Banerjee said adding, "The new district has been formed for ensuring better development."
“I love the hills and on this day of love I give you a new district. I only want your love in return which will help me to work further for your betterment. There are war mongers who want to divide people on the basis of their religion. We should all work together because there is strength in unity. Those who ignite this fire among people might gain individually but a true human will not light a fire of this kind. We will spend Rs 222 crore towards development of road here. Next in the pipeline will be tourism and education sectors in Kalimpong and Rs 50 crore has been allotted for a drinking water project. We will make it such a district that everyone will say what kind of district is Kalimpong? We must visit there,” she said today.
Political scientists said that it had been done looking at the forthcoming elections of the four civic bodies and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). Dr Biswanath, who had been the additional district magistrate of Jalpaiguri will be the first DM of Kalimpong and Ajit Singh Yadav will be the first superintendent of police here. Without naming anyone she also sent a stern warning to Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders saying that no attempt to stir up an unrest at the hill would be tolerated.
“After 2011 when I started visiting the hills regularly, I was determined for the development of Darjeeling. At the same time, I noticed that places such as Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik were not paid attention to. I believe Kalimpong can turn into an education hub and the IT industry can get a fillip here. Those who want to set up IT industry would get cooperation from the state,” she said.
Along with Mamata and her cabinet ministers including Indranil Sen, Arup Biswas and Gautam Deb, also present at the event were leaders of the hills such as Harka Bahadur Chhetri and Mohan Ghishing, son of Subhash Ghishing, the founder of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)
With PTI inputs
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